DUBLIN, Ireland -- Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c49365) has announced the
addition of the Frost & Sullivan report: The EU Directive on Data
Retention and its Implications for Service Providers to their offering.

Enactment of Data Retention Directive to Impact Communications
Service Providers and Network Operators

In May 2006, the European Union (EU) directive on data retention,
Directive 2006/24/EC, came into effect. This directive imposes the
obligation to retain traffic and location data on all service providers
and network operators of mobile, fixed and Internet telephony, e-mail
services, messaging and Internet access for specified minimum and
maximum periods. The European legislation was in direct response to the
concerns of EU member states in relation to the use of communications in
planning and perpetrating terrorist attacks. This comes in the wake of
the attacks on the United States of America in 2001 and the recent
attacks on Madrid and London in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The
introduction of the legislation aims at ensuring that data is accessible
by law enforcement authorities to assist them in the investigation,
detection and prosecution of serious crimes. The provisions of the EU
directive will need to be introduced by member states in their national
legislations by 15 September, 2007. However, member states can opt to
introduce regulations regarding Internet access as late as 15 March,
2009.

Call detail record (CDR) systems will need to be updated to cope
with the increase in communication and traffic data to be stored and
managed. Costs will need to be incurred in assessing current systems,
adapting them, and integrating new solutions that will comply with the
regulations. Most importantly, service providers that were not
previously included in the obligation to retain data will now have to
meet the mandatory requirements of the EU directive.

Service Providers to Work with Regulatory Agencies and Member State
Governments

According to the specifications of the directive, service providers
are required to respond to lawful requests from competent authorities
without "undue delay." Thus, member states will need to define
more clear parameters in this area.

Service providers and industry organisations will need to work with
regulatory agencies and member state governments, as member states work
on the transposition of the EU directive into national laws. By doing
so, service providers will be able to positively influence the issues
left unclear in the European legislation.